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dancing_adriftTitle: Artwork for Holding On (With A Heart That's Still Beating)
Author: whispered_story
Artist: dancing_adrift (yup, that's me!)
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: PG-13 (for art; fic is NC-17)
Medium: Corel Painter Essentials 5
Artist's Notes: Created as part of the 2018 SPN_J2_BigBang challenge. (My 3rd year!)
Summary: The first children with the mutant gene, which gave people superhuman abilities, were born in the late 70s. Feared, abused and soon shunned by the general public, they gathered together in small groups and built camps on the outskirts of society.
Decades later, Jensen leads a small camp of mutants hidden in the mountains of Oregon. It's a peaceful, uneventful life—until Jensen finds a hurt young mutant in the woods outside of the camp. But unlike the rest of them, Jared wasn't born with the mutant gene. Kidnapped off the streets, he was experimented on, changed into a mutant by force and then left to die in the forest when his powers appeared to be dormant. Jensen takes Jared back to the camp, offers him a place to stay, to heal, and a home with them in the mountains. Jared quickly becomes a part of their little makeshift family and an even bigger part of Jensen's life.
But then they find another changed mutant and unwittingly lead the people responsible for what happened to Jared right to their camp. And it turns out Jared might be the one who can save them in the end.
READ IT NOW ON AO3: HOLDING ON (WITH A HEART THAT'S STILL BEATING)
(Potential spoilers behind the cut, so do yourself a favor and view the art as you read the story if you don't want any of it to be spoiled!)
Original and Alternate Cover/Header Images
Click thumbnails to view larger images, and keep reading to learn how they came to be!
(And be sure to check out the bonus art at the very end! :))
God. Where do I even start?? Hmm, at the beginning, I suppose.
So. I was lucky enough to claim the awesome summary of the amazing whispered_story. Again. Even disregarding the fact that I claimed her BB summary two years ago also, we also worked together during the last RB challenge too, where she claimed ME. For as much as we work together in a beta/writer relationship too, you think we'd get sick of each other, but nope. I'd work with Anna anytime, and this time was no exception.
Anna's artist summary drew me in immediately. Mutants living in the woods and mountains of the Pacific Northwest? Um, yes please! Visions of campfires and evergreens danced through my head, plus perhaps the occasional visualization of some extra-human power. I've been on a bit of an anime kick lately (shout-out to Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which I'm looking forward to getting back to now that I've posted this), and the thought of those special abilities made me want to maybe make use of a brighter, bolder style. Once I actually started making art, making the jump from the art of anime to that more closely resembling a comic book seemed like a natural step.
As you can see in the images above, I decided to make the header banner look like the front page of a comic book. The inspiration to do so was really strong once I came across that BIG BANG font and fell in love. (For those who like to know such things, it's called Saucer BB - YES, it has BB in the name! It's a sign!) Normally I'd make the title of the fic the most prominent part of any header image, but in my experience with comic book covers, the main title is usually only a word or two - and Anna's title definitely doesn't fit that description X'D So I went with the name of the challenge as the 'series' title, and treated the fic title as though it were the title of the individual issue instead.
The first/original cover matches right up with the first scene of the story where Jensen finds Jared, hurt and half-naked, scared and alone in the woods:
I had a lot of fun building the layers of this piece, using bold shapes in the far background for the illusion of the mountains, adding texture to the trees and all the markings over poor Jared's body. This gorgeous photo was my main reference when trying to create the feel of an Oregon forest.
After I had created the first cover image it was really easy to take the background trees and turn them into the section headers you've seen above. I then created the bonus art (more on that below)... but my art set really didn't feel complete. If you've seen either of my past BB entries, you know that I usually create a LOT more art. Circumstances this year just didn't allow the time I'd need to create similar quantities as before, but I still wanted more for my author, more for the story.
And then I remembered the concept of alternate covers. Sometimes when comic books are created, they have a couple different cover variations. If I'm not mistaken, those that aren't printed on the front cover are usually found within the back pages of the comic. So I drew a second cover image for this story.
(Click image for full-size)
This time, I tried to give the art a feel that would reflect more the end of the story, how Jared and Jensen are together, on the compound in the middle of the woods and mountains. Those elements are pretty self-explanatory in the art; the stars, however, might not be. Really, I just needed something to fill the space between the boys and the title. Then I thought of Jared's tattoo, the one Jensen brought him to town to get. Not only did Jared grow up watching the stars with his dad, and so they were important in that way, but getting the tattoo of them was a big moment for Jared and Jensen, and for the story. Also, stars are pretty. So. Yeah. Moving on.
As I've mentioned a couple times now, before I created the second/alternate cover image, I'd made another piece. I'm calling it 'bonus' art, however, because it is the only 'scene' from the fic I illustrated and it doesn't really fit with the feel of all the other art.
Basically, when I first read through the story, I fell ridiculously in love with TattooArtist!Richard and I just had to draw him. So, here he is!!
(Click image for full-size)
Again I got to play with a shiny new font (this one is "Thrones"), though I had to make the apostrophe and period myself. (I apologize for my awful (read: non-existent) kerning.) I used images from Richards BBOD charity campaign as references, then made some edits to the first image at this page to create the background. The tattoo on Richard's arms are nods to the real-life actor: on the left are some mountains and the logo for what I've heard rumored to be one of Richard's favorite brewing companies, Terminal Gravity Brewing located in Enterprise, Oregon; on the right is a pair of feathers and a halo as a nod to Richard's character on Supernatural, Gabriel.
THANK YOUS
Well, that is all the art I have for this round of BB! I'd be remiss if I didn't give thanks to a few special people...
To gluedwithgold for the help finding Jared ref pics (it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it!), as well as encouraging me along with our partner-in-crime non_tiembo_mala and cheer-leading me every step of the way. (These ladies are also first-time BB participants this year as writers, so definitely keep your eyes peeled for their awesome stories and send them some love!!!)
To ashtraythief for the love and encouragement and awesome friendship. IRL fangirl time with you may have eaten a bit of my potential arting time this year, but I wouldn't trade it for the WORLD. ♥
To dephigravity for the new font obsession and for always being such a huge inspiration.
To Anna. Author of my dreams. Thank you so so so much for your continued excitement to partner with me. For your patience when I couldn't collaborate as fully as we have in the past. For your delight in each piece of art I created, even when I felt like it wasn't nearly enough to do your wonderful story justice. For constantly letting me be a part of your creations, and for being in my life, period. Ich liebe dich.
Last but not least, to Wendy for running this event steadfastly year after year, and to VIEWERS LIKE YOU. To everyone who reads the story, who loves the art, who comments and leaves love of any kind - we may not be driven to create because of you, but your participation in these works via enthusiastically experiencing them and loving them is appreciated more than words can say. THANK YOU.
Until next BB,
♥ Amanda aka dancing_adrift
Author: whispered_story
Artist: dancing_adrift (yup, that's me!)
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: PG-13 (for art; fic is NC-17)
Medium: Corel Painter Essentials 5
Artist's Notes: Created as part of the 2018 SPN_J2_BigBang challenge. (My 3rd year!)
Summary: The first children with the mutant gene, which gave people superhuman abilities, were born in the late 70s. Feared, abused and soon shunned by the general public, they gathered together in small groups and built camps on the outskirts of society.
Decades later, Jensen leads a small camp of mutants hidden in the mountains of Oregon. It's a peaceful, uneventful life—until Jensen finds a hurt young mutant in the woods outside of the camp. But unlike the rest of them, Jared wasn't born with the mutant gene. Kidnapped off the streets, he was experimented on, changed into a mutant by force and then left to die in the forest when his powers appeared to be dormant. Jensen takes Jared back to the camp, offers him a place to stay, to heal, and a home with them in the mountains. Jared quickly becomes a part of their little makeshift family and an even bigger part of Jensen's life.
But then they find another changed mutant and unwittingly lead the people responsible for what happened to Jared right to their camp. And it turns out Jared might be the one who can save them in the end.
READ IT NOW ON AO3: HOLDING ON (WITH A HEART THAT'S STILL BEATING)
(Potential spoilers behind the cut, so do yourself a favor and view the art as you read the story if you don't want any of it to be spoiled!)
Original and Alternate Cover/Header Images
Click thumbnails to view larger images, and keep reading to learn how they came to be!
(And be sure to check out the bonus art at the very end! :))
God. Where do I even start?? Hmm, at the beginning, I suppose.
So. I was lucky enough to claim the awesome summary of the amazing whispered_story. Again. Even disregarding the fact that I claimed her BB summary two years ago also, we also worked together during the last RB challenge too, where she claimed ME. For as much as we work together in a beta/writer relationship too, you think we'd get sick of each other, but nope. I'd work with Anna anytime, and this time was no exception.
Anna's artist summary drew me in immediately. Mutants living in the woods and mountains of the Pacific Northwest? Um, yes please! Visions of campfires and evergreens danced through my head, plus perhaps the occasional visualization of some extra-human power. I've been on a bit of an anime kick lately (shout-out to Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which I'm looking forward to getting back to now that I've posted this), and the thought of those special abilities made me want to maybe make use of a brighter, bolder style. Once I actually started making art, making the jump from the art of anime to that more closely resembling a comic book seemed like a natural step.
As you can see in the images above, I decided to make the header banner look like the front page of a comic book. The inspiration to do so was really strong once I came across that BIG BANG font and fell in love. (For those who like to know such things, it's called Saucer BB - YES, it has BB in the name! It's a sign!) Normally I'd make the title of the fic the most prominent part of any header image, but in my experience with comic book covers, the main title is usually only a word or two - and Anna's title definitely doesn't fit that description X'D So I went with the name of the challenge as the 'series' title, and treated the fic title as though it were the title of the individual issue instead.
The first/original cover matches right up with the first scene of the story where Jensen finds Jared, hurt and half-naked, scared and alone in the woods:
He sucks in a hiss when he steps around a large tree. There's a guy sitting curled up on the ground, pressed against the trunk. He's wearing tattered pants and nothing else, his chest littered with bruises and smeared with dirt and blood.
I had a lot of fun building the layers of this piece, using bold shapes in the far background for the illusion of the mountains, adding texture to the trees and all the markings over poor Jared's body. This gorgeous photo was my main reference when trying to create the feel of an Oregon forest.
After I had created the first cover image it was really easy to take the background trees and turn them into the section headers you've seen above. I then created the bonus art (more on that below)... but my art set really didn't feel complete. If you've seen either of my past BB entries, you know that I usually create a LOT more art. Circumstances this year just didn't allow the time I'd need to create similar quantities as before, but I still wanted more for my author, more for the story.
And then I remembered the concept of alternate covers. Sometimes when comic books are created, they have a couple different cover variations. If I'm not mistaken, those that aren't printed on the front cover are usually found within the back pages of the comic. So I drew a second cover image for this story.
(Click image for full-size)
This time, I tried to give the art a feel that would reflect more the end of the story, how Jared and Jensen are together, on the compound in the middle of the woods and mountains. Those elements are pretty self-explanatory in the art; the stars, however, might not be. Really, I just needed something to fill the space between the boys and the title. Then I thought of Jared's tattoo, the one Jensen brought him to town to get. Not only did Jared grow up watching the stars with his dad, and so they were important in that way, but getting the tattoo of them was a big moment for Jared and Jensen, and for the story. Also, stars are pretty. So. Yeah. Moving on.
As I've mentioned a couple times now, before I created the second/alternate cover image, I'd made another piece. I'm calling it 'bonus' art, however, because it is the only 'scene' from the fic I illustrated and it doesn't really fit with the feel of all the other art.
Basically, when I first read through the story, I fell ridiculously in love with TattooArtist!Richard and I just had to draw him. So, here he is!!
(Click image for full-size)
Again I got to play with a shiny new font (this one is "Thrones"), though I had to make the apostrophe and period myself. (I apologize for my awful (read: non-existent) kerning.) I used images from Richards BBOD charity campaign as references, then made some edits to the first image at this page to create the background. The tattoo on Richard's arms are nods to the real-life actor: on the left are some mountains and the logo for what I've heard rumored to be one of Richard's favorite brewing companies, Terminal Gravity Brewing located in Enterprise, Oregon; on the right is a pair of feathers and a halo as a nod to Richard's character on Supernatural, Gabriel.
THANK YOUS
Well, that is all the art I have for this round of BB! I'd be remiss if I didn't give thanks to a few special people...
To gluedwithgold for the help finding Jared ref pics (it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it!), as well as encouraging me along with our partner-in-crime non_tiembo_mala and cheer-leading me every step of the way. (These ladies are also first-time BB participants this year as writers, so definitely keep your eyes peeled for their awesome stories and send them some love!!!)
To ashtraythief for the love and encouragement and awesome friendship. IRL fangirl time with you may have eaten a bit of my potential arting time this year, but I wouldn't trade it for the WORLD. ♥
To dephigravity for the new font obsession and for always being such a huge inspiration.
To Anna. Author of my dreams. Thank you so so so much for your continued excitement to partner with me. For your patience when I couldn't collaborate as fully as we have in the past. For your delight in each piece of art I created, even when I felt like it wasn't nearly enough to do your wonderful story justice. For constantly letting me be a part of your creations, and for being in my life, period. Ich liebe dich.
Last but not least, to Wendy for running this event steadfastly year after year, and to VIEWERS LIKE YOU. To everyone who reads the story, who loves the art, who comments and leaves love of any kind - we may not be driven to create because of you, but your participation in these works via enthusiastically experiencing them and loving them is appreciated more than words can say. THANK YOU.
Until next BB,
♥ Amanda aka dancing_adrift
